Public schools strengthen communities

In Kelseyville, our public schools help students and community members thrive. Our primary responsibility is to provide a safe and nurturing environment where students can master the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. And that’s just the beginning. We also make our facilities available to community organizations to enrich the quality of life for everyone who lives in our town.

Building a sense of school spirit and community

At Kelseyville Elementary School (KES), we’ve created an adopt-the-campus clean up initiative where individual classes sign up to clean the campus each week, giving students a feeling of pride in their school and camaraderie with classmates. KES is also in the process of creating a fifth-grade student council leadership team that will be responsible for reading a weekly bulletin to the whole school via Google Meet. 

At Riviera Elementary, leadership students help run events during the school year, and the student council president and vice president help Principal Tavis Perkins run the honor assemblies. At Mountain Vista Middle School, the Leadership Class plans and runs activities, organizes fundraisers, and puts on events like school dances. Early leadership experiences like student council help students realize they are part of a larger group that works best when everyone pitches in. 

We also have programs that allow older students to support younger students. Mountain Vista Middle School students serve as peer readers in elementary school classrooms, and Kelseyville High School students help supervise structured recess activities and provide additional support in classrooms for students in need of a positive role model. The high school volunteer program, called KHS Champions, is composed of 12 students who visit KES from 8:00 AM to 12:40 PM to work with students and teachers from grades K-5. The goal of bringing older students to the elementary school is for all students to develop stronger social connections, empathy for others, and stronger foundations in their school environments. And who knows, maybe the program will ignite an interest in the field of education for some of these students.

According to our school counselor, Allison Panella, the benefits of this program have been remarkable. She said, “The KHS students have quickly become popular with the younger kids and have developed quite the entourage. Their presence has made a noticeable difference, offering extra support to teachers and creating a more engaging recess environment. The younger KES students gain confidence and enjoy the positive interactions, while the high schoolers learn the importance of giving back, helping others, and understanding the impact of their contributions on the school community.”

She meets with the high school volunteers every Friday to reflect on their experiences, discuss successes and challenges, and ensure the students feel supported in their roles. On the last Friday of each month, they enjoy a pizza lunch to thank the students. Allison said, “Their dedication has been truly transformative for KES, and I believe it’s a great example of promoting civic engagement in our community. Mountain Vista Middle School will be sending students to KES as well, and I plan to model their engagement the same way.” 

Not only do we support strong student connections, we also make schools feel welcoming to students’ families by hosting events in partnership with our parent-teacher organizations. At Riviera Elementary School, for example, families just enjoyed their first Fall Movie Night, and at the end of the month we’re having a Fall Festival, including “trunk or treating,” a haunted garden and greenhouse tour, carnival games, and a costume contest. This brings people together and lets families get to know one another.

Out in the community, our high school students connect with community organizations, too. Kelseyville Community Organization for Rescue and Public Service (K-CORPS) is a two-year program where students work directly with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department learning skills such as high-angle rope rescue, map and compass, GPS, search techniques, evidence search, and body recovery. By the end of the program, students become certified as first responders. 

We also have an active chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA), which prepares members for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. FFA members can be seen volunteering at many community events. Our FFA students often volunteer in the community, for example, running the local pumpkin patch every year.

Making school facilities available to all

In a town as small as ours, there aren’t all that many venues where large numbers of people can gather, especially if they need specialized facilities like sports fields or gymnasiums. As our Director of Buildings, Grounds & Maintenance Kyle Reams can tell you, if our students aren’t using our facilities, someone else is. 

If you consider sports alone, we make our campuses available to Pop Warner Football & Cheer, Little League Baseball, Junior Giants Baseball, youth basketball, Special Olympics, youth and adult soccer leagues, volleyball tournaments for men and women, alumni games, and more. Kyle mentioned that even when games aren’t played on our campuses, practices are often held here.  

We also make classrooms available for community meetings and activities and we open our campuses as evacuation shelters when the need arises. We see the value in supporting our community. So whether there’s a car show in our parking lot, a soccer tournament on our fields, or a Girl Scout or Boy Scout meeting on campus, we’re here to support it.

For some kids, our schools are their safe haven

In addition to being a place where kids learn to be good citizens and community members can gather, our schools also provide a safe haven for the students who do not have a good situation at home. We provide hot meals and warm classrooms in the winter. Our bus drivers welcome kids with a high five or a warm smile. Our teachers remind kids that they believe in them. Our counselors lend an ear and a shoulder to cry on. For some kids, school is the most positive thing in their life. 

We want to be all we can for our students and for our community.